As I’ve already documented, July is one boring sports month. So when I say, what a great weekend in the sporting world, let’s remember it’s not on the same scale as a weekend in October or March. It’s kind of like calling a women’s basketball game exciting. It might seem exciting since the score was close but if that were a men’s game you would be bored to the point where you would want to stick toothpicks in your eyes.
The Cleveland Indians won another series at home (that’s 13 out of 16). They had an exciting win in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday when Ryan Grako singled in Mike Rouse who was running for Travis Hafner after his double.
Quick side note: After the game, STO was interviewing Grako. Like every other interview after a win, Trot Nixon gave Grako a shaving cream/whipped cream pie in the face. He has honestly done it after every win. At what point will Nixon get tired of the same “prank.” More importantly, at what point will his teammates get annoyed with it and just snap and beat him down live during the interview after one of his pie face routines. I hope Nixon keeps doing it because the fake surprise by the victim and the announcers is high comedy.
After a ninth inning rally came up short on Saturday, the Indians where back in the winners circle on Sunday thanks to Fausto Carmona’s 11th win of the win. Of course my excitement over Grako’s hit and Fausto’s performance was quickly subdued when I remember they were playing the Kansas City Royals.
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies and all their fans on being the first to reach 10,000 loses. Of course, that’s not as bad as it sounds. It took them 124 years to reach the milestone and they are the first to do it. I’d rather be the first than the second. Their 10,000th loss was on right before the ESPYs so I watched the ending. After booing most of the game and being down 10-0 to start the ninth inning, Phillie fans started to cheer for the loss. The applauded noticeably louder after each out and were relatively quiet after they scored two runs. I loved this reaction from the fans. If you are going into the record books, might as well enjoy it.
Phil Mickelson got confused and thought he was playing in a Major on Sunday. But a las, it was the Scottish Open, not the British Open. Philly Mick went all U.S. Open on us and bogeyed three of the last five holes, including 18, to fall into a playoff with Gregory Harvret (who? would be a good question there). So what does Phil do? He does what we have come to expect him to do, bogeys 18 again and loses the playoff. Well done Mr. Mickelson. I’m sure that does a lot for your confidence for this week’s major. Good luck.
The weekend concluded with the glamorous ESPY awards on Wednesday night, err, Sunday night. While I think the show is a little bit over the top, any time you can watch clips of all the best games from the past year and past 15 years, it’s worth watching. I loved the opening with all the stories from the past year, I loved Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue and I loved all the horrible bad acting/reading during the presentations. Although my favorite part of any ESPYs show is when they show Jimmy Valvano’s speech from the 1993 show. No matter how many times you see it, it’s still emotional.
I didn’t get all the way through the ESPYs, decided to DVR it and go to bed after a long weekend so I missed LeBron’s Bobby Brown performance. However, I did see him dunk his new baby son through a hoop and say “let’s see Angelina Jolie adopt that baby.” Then the cameras showed someone in the audience with a look of shock on her face. Her face said just how bad the joke was. But it was just the second to worst joke of the night. I now know why ESPN tape delay’s the show. To add laugh tracks and shots of celebrities fake laughing, a la, America’s Funniest Home Videos. No better example than when The Rock was presenting with Serena Williams. They were talking about how as kids you weren’t allowed to break anything. The Rock said something like this “Dwayne don’t break your mother’s vase. Dwayne don’t break your father’s glasses. (long pause, Rock smiling like an idiot) Dwayne don’t break your mother’s arm.” Followed by a very ackward sounding laugh that was way to loud to start and stop way to suddenly to be real. Horrible editing there but it was comical to watch. At least we know The Rock is as good of an actor as he was when he was on WWF. Not even starting in 12 horrible movies can improve his ability.
So overall, a “great” weekend in July. At least next week there is a real sporting event, the British Open. Yes, golf is as good as it will be until the last weekend of August.
